Kigali International Airport in Rwanda
Unfortunately this post is very delayed. I had the opportunity to travel to Kigali, Rwanda back in August 2011 while taking a delivery flight for RwandAir’s first brand new airplane; a Boeing 737-800. Time went on and I never got this story posted, but I really want to share what it was like visiting Rwanda.
Most people, including myself, have some preconceived notions of what kind of place Rwanda is in the world. I think many define it either by the genocide of 1994 or the fact that it is an African country, so it must be hot, poor and not a place to visit. Let me tell you, my preconceived notions were very wrong and I cannot wait to return to Rwanda again. I hope sharing my experiences while visiting can help change your ideas of the country as well.
Kigali is located in central Rwanda. Rwanda is located in central Africa. Image from Google Maps.
Rwanda is a country with a population of around 11.7 million and is about the size of the state of Maryland. Farming is a large part of the population, where some people farm to make a living, and others are farming to feed their families.
Tourism is also a growing economic resource for the country. It was unbelievably easy to get from Kigali back home to Seattle. Even though I can easily have more than one stop flying across the US, I only had one stop in Amsterdam getting from Rwanda back to Seattle in about 24 hours. Took one non-stop KLM flight from KGL to AMS, then another non-stop Delta flight from AMS to SEA. Flying south to Johannesburg or north to Cairo also provides many other easy connections to the US.
Hà´tel des Mille Collines is the location where the movie "Hotel Rwanda" was based on. The hotel in the movie was actually filmed in South Africa. The genocide involved much more than just this hotel.
The Genocide
Let’s get talking about the negative part of Rwanda out of the way: the 1994 genocide. The chances are you have heard of this or gotten a pretty good idea at how horrid this was by watching the move Hotel Rwanda. Over 800,000 people were slaughtered, families ruined and a nation put in turmoil in only over 100 days. At that time, the country lost as much as 20% of their population, had a weak infrastructure and no power to most of the nation. During my five days in the country I couldn’t believe that this tragedy happened only 15 years ago. It is astounding how much the people of Rwanda have been able to work hard and try to move past a difficult recent history.
Quite simplly, the genocide is a very important part of the Rwandan history, but by no means defines who they are today. That is the old Rwanda that no longer exists and people around the world should not judge an entire nation and people by what happened so long ago.
Rwanda was much greener than I was expecting.
It is Green and Not That Hot
Who knew? I assumed since Rwanda is pretty much located on the equator and is in Africa, it would be hot, humid and brown. Turns out it is tepid, not humid and mostly green. Since Rwanda is at such a high altitude, even though it is near the equator, it stays relatively comfortable and consistent throughout the year. Since it has its rainy season (which is just starting), a good part of the country is lush with greenery. Part of the reason for the climate is Rwanda’s elevation. The lowest point in the country is 3,000 feet above sea level and the highest is almost at 15,000 feet at Mount Karisimbi.
The Genocide Museum is beyond powerful. Photos of those who were slaughtered is difficult to take in.
Visit Genocide Museum
I will warn you, that a visit to the Genocide Museum is extremely powerful. I would suggest doing it near the end of the day, since it will put you in a downer mood afterwards. It is not easy to get through, but you cannot get the true feeling of how bad the genocide was without it. The detailed stories, the unedited photos and skulls of some of those that died are beyond powerful.
It is still hard to really grasp what happened and how it has made an impact even after a visit to the museum. Even today, many citizens walk around with machetes (a common weapon used during the genocide), which are used to everyday labor, but they are still a reminder.
Even though difficult, make sure to give yourself enough time to go through the whole museum.
Even though Kigali is rapidly growing, access to international cash is not easy.
Bring Cash
There are only a few ATMs where you are able to withdraw money. If you plan to go to one, you will be welcomed by an armed guard with a large gun. They are plenty nice and all, but it would be easier to just make sure you bring some cash with you.
If you bring your own local currency, you can change it out at your hotel or the airport. Do not plan on using your credit cards very much — since most places will not accept them.
Kigali Serena Hotel -- not what I was expecting. It was a nice surprise.
Rwanda is Safe
During part of my visit I was escorted by locals, but I also had quite a bit of free time to wonder around on my own and pretty far away from my hotel. Being 6’1, 250lb white man, it was pretty obvious that I was from out of town. I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe, even while having my expensive camera with me.
It is worth the effort to get out of town and see how people live in rural Kigali.
Get Out of Town
To get the real experience, one needs to get out of town. You do not have to go far to see hundreds of people walking down the highway with food and goods on their heads. Many people still farm their own food for survival and make houses out of what they can find.
Luckily there weren't too many mosquitoes during my trip, but better to be safe than sorry.
Get Your Shots
Yellow Fever vaccines are required to enter Rwanda or to return to most other countries. I only had a week’s notice and had no problem getting it completed. Make sure to speak with your doctor, since they are probably going to recommend a whole set of shots and pills for you to take before departing to Rwanda. I opted for pretty much everything, since I didn’t want to ruin my trip. I had all sorts of food and never got sick, but I steered clear of any tap water or ice. I slowly kept eating more vegetables and fruit and never had any issues.
The streets and yards were amazingly clean walking around Kigali.
There is an Official Cleaning Day Once Per Month
Talk about clean. Every last Saturday of the month, Rwanda has a cleaning day where it is mandated that citizens and businesses stop what they are doing and spend the morning cleaning. Our RwandAir Boeing 737 actually arrived on cleaning day and everyone who came to the airport to participate had to show paperwork that they were allowed to be out and about and not clean.
This concept creates a strong sense of community and obviously keeps the country clean.
Twin baby Gorillas with their mother. Photo from Pat Adams.
Go See Some Gorillas
Unfortunately I was not able to do this, but a few of the people I was with had the opportunity to go trek out into the woods and check out Gorillas. You need to plan way in advance and it can be quite costly, but you cannot beat being only a few feet away from one of nature’s most amazing animals.
It was surreal being at the real "Hotel Rwanda."
The Real Hotel Rwanda Means Something Different to Us
I was invited to go to the real Hotel Rwanda, that is really called Hà´tel des Mille Collines, and I was a bit freaked out. We weren’t going to check out the hotel, but to go to a dance club in the basement. Dance clubs are not really my scene, but I had to check this out — why would they put such a happy, fun thing into a place with such a troubled past. Well, it is because of my American perspective.
RwandAir, Boeing and Media at Republika Lounge in Kigali.
There is Some Amazing Food
Not all the food I tried was something I would want to try again, but I have to say it was unique. But most of the food that I ate was amazing. We were able to make it to the Republika Lounge in Kigali twice and one of the most interesting things was banana wine. Not exactly what one might think, but still a good drink.
Motor bike taxis are all over the place and very cheap. You are taking a risk. You can also walk; many citizens do.
Taxi, Motorbikes or Your Feet
How much guts do you have? How much money do you have? If you have a lot of guts and not much money, taking a motorcycle taxi is for you. These are pretty much dirt cheap and consist of you riding on the back of a person’s dirt bike to your destination. It can get a little scary weaving in and out of cars, when it is raining, while it is dark. I am one that doesn’t have that much guts, so for a bit more there are quite a few taxi’s located around Kigali. There is also a bus system, mostly consisting of vans, but they are very crowded and I would suggest avoiding them if possible.
If you want to try a full local experience, then just walk. It didn’t matter where we went or how far away we were from any structures, there were people walking everywhere. Either business people walking to lunch to people with water jugs on their heads going home. A sidewalk is not required. Many of the citizens have no form of transportation and would carry furniture, food and much more miles from town to their homes.
Kigali offers many flights to other African destinations.
Springboard into Africa
Kigali is a great place to start an African adventure. Pretty centralized, there are flights from Air Burundi, Air Uganda, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, South African Airways and of course RwandAir that can take you to many destinations inside Africa. Not to mention Brussels, KLM, Qatar and Turkish which can take you out of Africa.
See all 101 Photos of Rwanda From My Trip
RWANDAIR BOEING 737-700 DELIVERY FLIGHT
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Video | 737 Photos | Rwanda Photos | Destination Story | All
Chris Sloan (on the right) gets his Boeing 747 book signed by Joe Sutter (father of the 747) during the recent Lufthansa 747-8I Delivery.
I first met Chris Sloan during ANA’s delivery celebration of their first 787 Dreamliner. However, I already knew his name. I had previously seen his work in Airways Magazine and I knew of his site Airchive.com, although I didn’t realize he was the man behind it. We have quickly bonded over airlines and enjoy sharing our unique stories with each other.
When it comes to airline collections, there is no question that Chris has me beat. He has so many airline collectables it blows the mind. Luckily he has spent a great deal of effort to share his collection with the rest of the world. I wanted to learn a bit more about him and his website. Here is our interview:
An old United Airlines Boeing 747-100 and 747SP at Ardmore Graveyard. Photo by Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AirlineReporter.com (AR): What is Airchive.com?
Chris Sloan (CS): Airchive.com is what I call an online ’œwebseum of commercial aviation’. I strive to be different from other sites out there that do pure plane-spotting, breaking news, and travel reviews so well. We are basically an online museum of commercial aviation with some contemporary twists:
We curate timetable, route maps, airline and manufacturer memorabilia of 1000s of airlines going back to the 1920s to the present. We really try to write a historic perspective of the history of an airline or aircraft model through it’s memorabilia and route maps.
Another thing that sets us apart is our focus on airports. Lots of attention, and rightly so, is directed to plane spotting which Airchive.com does but we feature virtual in-depth photographic tours and background info on airports around the world. We are as interested in the terminals as we are what’s on the ramp. Likewise, these virtual tours extend to aviation museums with slide-shows that transport the user there virtually. One of our most popular sections are rare photographic behind the scenes tours of airplane manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus
Other unique features include detailed galleries on airliner cabins, scrapped airliners, airline models (including cutaways), and aviation firsts such as trip accounts of the inaugurals of the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the upcoming Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Inaugural.
An image from the Boeing SST 2707 brochure from 1966. Chris Sloan / Airchive.com
AR: Why did you start it?
CS: I started the site back in 2003 as a way to give back to the commercial aviation community and share my massive collection as others had done online in person. It has turned into a passion project which has allowed me to meet many other folks of similar passion and undertake unique experiences. Also, at this time, the airline industry was engaged in the nadir of it’s turmoil following 9/11 and running up to the Gulf War II, so I wanted to remind the flying public and airline staff just what an incredible industry they have. I now try to tweet @airchive relevant items everyday to provide a historical or different take on what is in the airline zeitgeist.
1955 Boeing 707 Intro Brochure. Image from Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AR: When did you get into collecting airline memorabilia?
CS: I began collecting at the age of 6 years old. I would visit airports and city ticket office’s back then when those existed, and pester airline reservation agents to mail me timetables, route maps, safety cards, whatever. I’d also inhabit my favorite airports snapping off photos. It’s a life-long passion but I frustrated that I didn’t have anyone to share it with. At this point, my model collection numbers over 300 including gigantic 747, DC-10, and Concorde cutaways; 10,000 timetables, brochures, airline seats, service items, even a desk made from the wing of the Lockheed L1011 prototype. I am not in this for the money. In fact, to borrow an old stock market adage ’œI buy and hold.’ I have never sold anything, though have donated and loaned items to other museums.
As I have grown older running my own TV production company which leads to extensive travel ’“ this only increases my enthusiasm for this fascinating industry. One cool thing is I have combined some business with pleasure such as overseeing the John Travolta hosted documentary on the building of the Airbus A380, back when I ran production at TLC, and now creating and executive producing a reality series called ’œAirport 24/7: Miami’ which is an unprecedented behind the scenes look at all the goings on at Miami International Airport. It’s a compelling, eye opening show for enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. It will premiere later in the Summer on Travel Channel.
Cutaway of a Pan Am Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. Image from Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AR: Have you ever thought of starting some in-person museum?
CS: This is a long-term goal, or if I win the lottery a short-term goal, to either start my own or collaborate with others of like-minded interest. My ’œdreamseum’ would be a cross between LAX’s Flightpath Museum and the Delta Airlines Heritage Center and American’s C.R. Smith Museum. It would cover a broad swath of airlines like Flightpath but with the depth and actual aircraft of C.R. Smith and Delta Heritage. As a passionate Miamian, I would like it to have a South Florida focus on Pan Am, National, and Eastern.
I have taken part in public displays where I loaned materials out. There was a Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Exhibit at the former TWA Terminal T5 @ JFK a few years back, but unfortunately about $5000 of my collection was stolen and never recovered so I am much more careful these days. Who would’ve thought MOMA didn’t carry insurance.
AR: What is your favorite piece you have on the site?
CS: Hard to say, so I will list some of my favorites:
* Boeing brochure for the 2707 SST
* The original US Air Force presentation for Air Force One
* Anything and everything involving my favorite airlines: Delta, Pan Am, Continental, Braniff, and National
* Complete timetable collections for major U.S. airlines going back to their histories
* My young son has come now has the bug. In fact, he is named after artist Alexander Calder who designed the Flying Colors Boeing 727 for Braniff. I have an autographed poster from Calder.
A special Qantas Airbus A380 model given to Jon Travolta. Photo by Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AR: What has been your favorite airline related experiences?
CS: Shooting with John Travolta the A380 doc was incredible. Such a gracious man and an enthusiast extraordinaire. As a reward, we all went up in an Airbus A-320 chartered for the shoot, and he took the controls. It has also been exciting being a part of three inaugurals and deliveries including the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental.
Meeting the Father of the Boeing 747, Mr. Joe Sutter at the Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Delivery. Spunky, Pugnacious, and Outspoken’¦
Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-7B at Opa Locka - August, 2010. Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
Chartering the world’s only flying passenger DC-7 for a company party high over Miami. We buzzed the beach at 1,000 feet. Travolta and his daughter came on one of our flights from Miami to Key West where Pan Am was founded. Countless private ramp tours of LAX, Miami, and Mojave. These are hard to get and very gratifying, especially when friends and family have joined in awe as an A380 lands 100 feet away.
Flying the jump-seat from LAX to Hong Kong on a Boeing 747-400 back in 1999. Visiting the not open to the public Boeing Archives. The Airline Reporter has been there too, so you know how awesome it is.
Photographing the Boeing and Airbus Factories and Customer Delivery Centers and flying a CRJ-200 sim through moderate to serve turbulence, with the radar painting read, and trying not to throw up!
Being on the inaugural of the Virgin America service to Florida with my idol, Richard Branson.
Producing our Travel Channel Series about the Miami International Airport. We actually created an airborne parade of a DC-7 and DC-3 which proceeded the Lufthansa A380 landing in Miami for the first time. And of course, all the international travel such as flying into Hong Kong Kai-Tak during its last days.
A very rare 1973 vintage factory DC-10 cutaway. Image from Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AR: How many airline models do you have?
CS: 100’s literally but the pride and joy are 3 restored cutaways: 1 of 3 Douglas DC-10 Prototypes made for the factory back in the 1960s to demo the airplane. Also a Concorde cutaway that used to apparently be in the lobby at the Bristol Fulton Factory. It was in found in the attic of the interior designer of the Concorde, after 20 years.
I also have a 7 foot long 1974 circa TWA Boeing 747 restored over 3 years to its original condition and an original Boeing 747 prototype cutaway circa 1969
AR: What is Airchive.com’s relationship with Airways?
CS: I have been an avid reader of ’œAirways’ since it began publishing. In fact, I deserted commercial aviation for many years until 1994 when I picked up one of their first issues in an airport newsstand. I was immediately infected again by the bug. I still eagerly await my issue each month like every other enthusiastic subscriber. We have a strong cross-promotion and content-sharing relationship. As well, I am a frequent contributor to this excellent publication as it really speaks to my passion.
1965 "End of the Plain Plane" ad campaign for Braniff. Image from Chris Sloan / Airchive.com.
AR: What do you want to add?
CS: I view Airchive.com as pure passion. It takes a lot of time and money, frankly but it is a passion. It has been so much fun, particularly getting my sons interested in this field and meeting so many interesting, like-minded people. I get a lot of gratitude when people write from around the world how much the site inspires them or takes them back to memories they had in the business. When someone says ’œI got lost for hours on Airchive’, that is the greatest compliment. I am adding features to allow more contributors as many wonderful folks send me items and photographs. As my children get older and business obligations grow, it gets harder to do this on your own. So I welcome anyone who wants to get involved and collaborate. We’re all stronger together then apart.
The Boeing 247D and a 787 Dreamliner are almost nose to nose. About 80 years separate these two airliners. How similar, yet different they are from each other.
The Paine Field Aviation Day this year was bigger and better than ever. More planes, more options, more access and the sunny day doesn’t hurt either. The even was divided into two events, one on the west side of the field by the Historic Flight Foundation and the other on the east side by the Flying Heritage Collection. There were shuttles that would quickly take guests to either their parking lot or the other side of the field.
Boeing pulled one of their new 777-200LRs going to Air Austral into a location where guests could get up close and personal.
A P-47D Thunderbolt, belonging to the Flying Heritage Collection, returns after flying.
Hawker Hurricane Mk.XIIA and Republic P-47D Thunderbolt flying over Paine Field.
A Grumman F7F Tigercat, called Bad Kitty, returns from a flight, as a Cargolux Boeing 747-8F spools up for take off. You have to love Paine Field.
Come for the war birds. Stick around to watch the new Boeing 747-8F take off. Why not?
it is plane porn, watching Bad Kitty raise her wings.
How can you not love Paine Field when you are watching classic war birds flying in the sky and they take a break to let a brand new Boeing 747-8F take off? A big cheers to all those who worked hard and volunteered their time to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever. Can’t wait until next year!
CHECK ALL 40 OF MY PHOTOS FROM THE PAINE FIELD AVIATION DAY 2012
The Copper River Salmon has arrived to Seattle on a Boeing 737-400 Combi.
It has become a yearly tradition to wake up before it gets light and head on down to Alaska Air Cargo at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to welcome the season’s first Copper River Salmon. When that alarm goes off early in the morning, it is easy to question why would one get up so early to welcome
some fish?
Well, this is not just any fish, but many say one of the best in the world. There was huge fanfare as airline employees, media and guests welcomed the VIP salmon to Seattle.
That is one big fish. Judges, pilots and chefs show off the 55 pound salmon.
“We’re proud to be the first to bring wild and sustainable Copper River salmon to seafood lovers across the country, in many cases within 24 hours after the fish is caught,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo. “With enhanced food quality procedures and additional flights to support the Alaska seafood industry, we are going the extra mile to deliver seafood that’s as fresh as possible.”
The captain has the privilege to grab the largest fish and take it off the aircraft. This year, he was able to find a whopper — 55 pounds.
Cooking salmon in the outdoors early in the morning at an airport -- what more does one need?
It is not just about welcoming some fish, but also to have an epic Alaska Air Cargo’s “Copper Chef Cook-off.” This year executive chef Pat Donahue from Anthony’s Restaurant, Jason Wilson of CRUSH and Wayne A Johnson of Ray’s Boathouse competed to make the best Copper River Salmon dish in just 30 minutes.
The large fish was taken to be filet, divided up and given to the chefs. Each restaurant has their own outdoor cooking station and are able to do their thing.
The judges have the hard job of eating salmon, drinking wine and making the big decision for the winner.
During the 30 minute cook time, guests were entertained by local celebrity Jon Curley. He interacted with the cooks, judges and guests who each donated 75,000 miles to Make A Wish Foundation to earn a ticket to the event. A total of 1.2 million miles were donated for the enve.
After the meals were prepared a panel of judges voted on the best. The judges consisted of Jay Buhner, Seattle Mariners Hall of Famer; Joanne Dunham, co-owner of Dunham Cellars; Gary Horner, senior winemaker at Erath Winery; and Bill Ayer, chairman of Alaska Air Group.
Pat Donahue from Anthony's Restaurant celebrates this victory for the third year in a row. Former Mariner Jay Buhner hands out the awards.
When everything was said and done the winner, for the third year in a row was Anthony’s Restaurant.
This is the third year that Alaska Cargo has celebrated the salmon and each year it seems to be a bit better. (See the events in 2011 and 2010)
Alaska Airlines flew nearly 25 million pounds of fresh Alaska seafood to the Lower 48 states and beyond last year, including nearly 1.8 million pounds of Copper River salmon. The airline flies a total of 115 million pounds of cargo annually.
View all 18 photos from the event this morning or check out all three recipes made this morning.
